


Spring Break!

by miss_jojo



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Hunter x Hunter - Freeform, M/M, hxh - Freeform, kurapika kurta - Freeform, leopika - Freeform, leorio x kurapika - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:33:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24297412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_jojo/pseuds/miss_jojo
Summary: It was Leorio's spring break and he planned to waste the week away on a tropical island with whatever fleeting joy he could find, until he stumbled upon a familiar face. Kurapika was there for one mission and one alone- to avenge his fallen clan. How far would Kurapika go to fulfill his vengeful duty, and how far would Leorio go to save him?
Relationships: Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Kudos: 17





	Spring Break!

**Author's Note:**

> i literally wrote this in one sitting so hopefully it is ok! please enjoy! leave comments, i love to hear feedback <3

She had long auburn hair with a sort of passiveness to her light-hearted laugh that spread all the way to his ears from across the bar, a passiveness that would've made her a good candidate for a wild, fun one-night stand. But her friend was far hotter, objectively speaking, of course- her hair was blonde and untamed, her arm sporting a butterfly tattoo, but she would be definitely less interested in sharing a drink with him, his abrading personality definitely would butt heads with hers. Then there was the brunette sitting alone, looking entirely bored with her margarita, most likely in need of some entertainment for the evening, hopefully stretching over the night, he thought hopefully. He was about to make his move of the flirtatious eye contact and a gentlemanly nod towards her, asking with their met gazes if he could possibly come over and engage in a fruitful conversation, all, of course, the prerequisites of a fuck. But he decided to take one more look of his options for this one-night stand, as it was very important- it was spring break after all and he was all in for a good time. Medical school had drained everything from him, leaving him to enjoy this short week and that meant partying, booze, and women. As he scanned once more the patrons of the small bar on the beachfront of the small island usually reserved for college-aged students and rich businessmen to enjoy their holiday and party the nights away, he saw something that made him blink twice, nearly choking on his liquor. He instinctively stood up, knocking over his drink, the women he was so closely analyzing distracted with the slight irritation in their eyes, him interrupting their conversation. His feet couldn't nearly go as fast as his head was whirring at that moment, seeing the one person he'd never expected to find here, yet was the one person that he'd give anything to meet once again.

"Leorio, what are you..." the other young man looked on with such incredulity in his eyes that were subject to much conversation to others, but to him at that moment, his eyes were absolutely captivating that he laughed aloud, grabbing the shoulders of the stunned man, bringing him in for a hug, lasting far longer than Kurapika had expected.

"You are making a scene," he whispered into his ear, to which Leorio laughed again, letting him go. He took a seat right next to him, arm resting on the bench of the bar, looking at his long-lost friend with no questions on his whereabouts, motives for being here, hell, not even wondering why he hasn't replied to any of his voicemails. Just, he was here, and he was compelled to enjoy it before his friend would disappear once again, as he always seemed to do.

"This is perfect, how about we get out of here? There's a good seafood place by here, and I heard from the locals that their cream soda stand is fuckin' good. C'mon," Leorio started out, grabbing Kurapika's elbow, to which he shook his head and stayed planted onto the bar's stool. "I'm here for a mission. Sorry, you have to go."

He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "You can't get rid of me, so might as well tell me what this mission is about, so I can bring out the big guns," he cockily praised himself, a merry salute towards his friend, who tried to hide his laughter in face of the seriousness of the mission. But it was true, Kurapika had tried to rid himself of all memories of his close ones, his friends he had made during his time of taking the hunter exam, during his time of gaining access to people with ties to the scarlet eyes, the eyes that were deemed as one of the most beautiful colors in the world, the ones that would turn to such a bright shade of red, shadowing rubies, carnelian, garnet; all were worthless when stood besides eyes of the Kurta clan. But with that sort of beauty, sinister motives take over, a known troupe of thieves pillaging his quaint village while he was out, killing every one of his brethren, their corpses desecrated with hollowed-out eyes. Since that moment, a moment marked with blood, red and warm, he knew he'd do anything to bring those eyes back to his family, his clan. But with that sort of coldness needed to steal back every pair, to kill anyone in his way, he needed to forget everything, everything... But Leorio's calls would break him out of his cold concentration, out of his training- even when silenced, he could feel the phone vibrating, a sob hitched in his throat, so scared, so terrified for his friends, for Leorio to see what he'd become in the sake of vengeance. He tried to get rid of Leorio, but he had failed, and Leorio was here, and Kurapika was conflicted to either fulfill his destiny set upon himself that fateful day of the bloodied destruction of the Kurta clan, or to sit back and drink with his friend. 

Leorio looked to him with such hope in his eyes that Kurapika sucked in air between his teeth and closed his eyes and began to whisper in a hushed voice.

"I've been searching for a man who apparently bought a pair at a Yorknew auction for months now, but all leads end up dead. Literally. People who claimed to know him wound up dead."

"Geez, sounds rough."

"Well, I finally got a tip that he comes out once a year to celebrate his favorite grandson's birthday, here at this island. A colleague worked for him as a bodyguard a while ago... apparently, he loves the fish and chips at this bar specifically- maybe the main reason he chooses this place for a party." Leorio chuckled, and looked at him again with shining eyes, causing him to flush under his gaze. Had he always had such tan skin and hazel eyes that sparkled behind those stupid small glasses that looked more like an accessory than actual useful lenses? Kurapika had only ever seen him in a full suit, always looking fancy and formal, which was far from his loud and brazen personality. But this time, he sported a black tank and board shorts, business shoes replaced by brown sandals. 

Leorio's gaze would not falter while Kurapika continued to tell his tale of the old geezer, the head of a famous hire-a-hunter program that became very successful for small-tasks for the lesser-known hunters to get a start on their new life. He had accumulated a large amount of wealth, and he supposes the businessman used his funds to spend outrageous amounts of money on corpses and magical body parts, all for the sake of having it. Things like that always made his blood boil, and Leorio too from the looks of it, his face reddening with anger, fists clenched as if ready to beat the man if he happens to come to the bar that evening.

And almost like fate- or fiction-, the man they spoke of walked into the establishment, flowered polo shirt, cargo pants, and a gold necklace accentuating his fat neck. His beard was patchy, growing gray of age, and his eyes were droopy as if he already came into the bar drunk. Either way, he was here and the two looked at each other and grabbed the menu in front of them at the same time, hands knocking each other so neither succeeding in hiding their face. But luckily enough, the businessman was so intrigued with the uncomfortable waitress whose exasperated expression showcased she just wants him to order whatever he needs and to leave her alone, that the two had time to adjust themselves and hide their faces with a menu. A la cheesy romantic movie trope, the two cowered together behind a large laminated menu, heads so close that there was nothing else to look at except each other. With held breaths, their gazes darted to the words printed on the sheet. The glare blurred the words, various foods and drinks' names warped with their reflections. Kurapika turns to see the other man staring at him once more. They stay like this for a few more minutes, until a waiter awkwardly approaches them, asking if the couple was ready. 

"Man, let's get out of here. Now you know that he's for sure here, job for today's done. When's the party?" Leorio asked, setting the menu down to Kurapika's alarm. "Yes, I suppose I'm done for now, but the party is Friday, and I must prepare."

His counterpart stared with such amusement, chin in hand, a goofy smile atop his lips. "C'mon, Friday's my last day here. How about you just spend the week with me til then, I got a sweet little dorm thing going, I can sleep on the couch I suppose... And you can go off to do your sleuthing in the mornings, then party all night with me," he pointed to himself, thumb extended towards his puffed-out chest, a likeness truly comparable to a typical medical frat boy. Kurapika hid a small laugh behind his hands, adorned with rings and chains, and almost thought that he should take up on his offer. But before he could think logically about all the preparations needed to ensure the successful heist of the scarlet eyes, his friend grabbed his hand, dragging him out of the small restaurant, everything happening so fast that Kurapika was momentarily dazed, hand still in hand with Leorio. The two stood on the small beach boardwalk, so crowded with people their age, all in beach wear and sandals, the night sky darkening with few stars twinkling. Stands were set up, selling handmade jewelry and flip-flops, the rest of the pier dotted with smaller shops and restaurants, their fairy lights illuminated the spring air. And with that, the sky lit up with fireworks, shocking Kurapika who took a step back, bumping into Leorio, who just put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in, with a soft whisper, "How about it? I've missed you." 

The rest of the night was filled with sight-seeing, eating as much food as possible, and sitting on the beach, playing in the sand like young kids, smiles highlighted with the full moon, glistening across the dark blue of the sea. It was nearing ungodly hours in the morning, but Kurapika hadn't felt this alive in so long- he hadn't lived in the moment for so long. It had always been about 'the greater good,' about all the sacrifices he needed to make, about training and growing stronger- it was always about vengeance. And being here with a face he hadn't seen in so long, being here, his hair up in a bun, sand on his cheek, he felt at ease. He turned to his friend, who was staring with a small smile on his lips again. "Oh, c'mon, Leorio. You've been staring at me like that all night, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all," he replied, his smile growing.

The two made their way back to the shabby part of the port city, where the buildings were a little too close together, the tall housing complexes blocking out any light. Leorio insisted it was top-notch, best of the best, but he also sheepishly added with a slight blush to his face to not be too harsh right away- it has its own charm once you get used to it. Once he opened the door, Kurapika realized what he had meant- it definitely was small, but it wasn't like he wasn't used to it- he had to sleep in dingy motels, cheap trains, and even open fields and alleyways when traveling across the globe. There was a small desk to the side beside the door, decorated with a few papers and a telephone. To the corner of the room was an unmade bed, to the opposite was the couch, with a large suitcase opened atop it, with the likeness to a bomb- clothes of every color sprawled all over, some dripping onto the floor. On the floor was beer cans, candy wrappers- was that a pair of women's underwear? Kurapika looked up towards Leorio, narrowed eyes flicking to and fro from the article of clothing and his friend's face, Leorio exclaiming and scrambling to give up some sort of excuse once he realized what Kurapika's attention was on.

"How did these get here?" He hurriedly kicks it underneath the couch, but the fabric was so smooth that it took a few attempts. Kurapika crossed his arms across his chest, feeling suddenly small for some reason, although he couldn't place his finger on why. Things had become quiet, awkward, as Leorio sifted through his clothing, trying to clean up, the flickering light of the small room supporting the tense atmosphere. 

"It's been lonely, medical school, I mean. Studying non-stop, I forget that actual human normal relationships exist. Lately, I've been just enjoying the little free time I had with partying, women, jacking off- er, okay, forget about that. Thing is," he stopped mid-sentence to turn to Kurapika, who stared at the ground with hands wrapped around him, eyes downcast. "The thing is, I forgot about my friends. I didn't even know about Gon and Killua, much less about the whole fucking apocalypse with the Ants. I just found refuge in the shittiest things- I mean, I tried, I tried to call you but, K, where were you?"

Kurapika turned around, finding it hard to hold steady eye contact with him. "You didn't forget about your friends, Leorio, you did the best you could while juggling university. I'm the one who forget their friends. I saw your calls, I couldn't bear to hear the voicemails, I didn't want to hear your voice, I knew that it would make me weak," he spat out, clenching his fists, gritting his teeth. "I needed to focus on my sole objective: retrieving the eyes. You would've distracted me, friends would have distracted me. But I got lost, and now, being here with you, I feel like.. I was so wrong to push everyone away." A hand reached out in the dark, resting gently atop Kurapika's shoulder, the touch causing him to bring his head down, trying to hold back whatever tears were trying to drip down. Leorio wrapped around him, tilting his head up while he stared down, the red eyes glowing in the dark. And then he kissed him.

Friday came around and the two, dressed in suits, walked into the large ballroom in some grand hotel by the beach, it looking like dozens of people gathered for a simple birthday party. They all dressed in gowns and tuxedos, waiters holding sparkling trays with rosé and small appetizers, the chandelier above them mimicking stars. Light piano played, the soft melodious tones velvet against the noisy chatter of the guests. The two young men walked in as nonchalantly as the others, security not nearly as protective as they deemed. The man in question stood near the front of the room, talking to some other guests, a young teenager beside him with a flower pinned to his suit jacket, a novelty crown atop his head.

"That must be the birthday kid," Leorio stated, Kurapika nodding. "Maybe if we introduce ourselves to him as hunters, he could give us some answers about his grandpa, where he might keep his possessions?"

Kurapika mumbled a half-assed 'maybe,' him much more focused on the older man, his movements, how he constantly checked the bejeweled watch atop his wrist, his eyes as droopy as the first time he laid eyes on him. "Maybe, that could work," Kurapika started out, finally replying to Leorio's comment despite it being minutes after- Leorio was gone. Heart rate spiking, he frantically spun his head around, trying to spot the gelled spikes in the crowd- he finally spotted him nearing the grandson, who separated from his grandfather, now standing beside the chocolate fountain, dipping various fruits in there. Kurapika groaned as he began speed-walking towards them, hoping to God that bringing Leorio along wasn't the wrong choice. He watched on as Leorio engaged in a conversation with him, shaking the young teen's hand, their light-hearted banter causing the two to chuckle. Kurapika finally caught up to them two, Leorio wrapping an arm around his waist and introducing him as some fake name, Kurapika giving a weak smile to the teen. He was short and skinny, his brown hair so shaggy that it almost covered his eyes, his blue eyes- as blue as his own. Kurapika cocked his head, staring more intently at him while Leorio continued drawling on how wonderful this party is so far, and other niceties to keep the grandson there, although he seemed much more interested in the chocolate fountain than Leorio's conversation. Something about him seemed so similar to Kurapika- had he met him before?

"Yeah, grandpa always does shit like this, I think 'cause he's so protective over me, but I kinda outgrew it. But if it gets me these killer parties, I guess I'm okay with him babying me for a few more years." The boy continued to drizzle chocolate on various strawberries, pineapple pieces, all the while Kurapika stared and Leorio word-vomited. "Anyway, who invited you? I never ever seen either of you before at these sorta things."

The two look at each other, and Leorio scratched the back of his head as he chucked, trying to fill the silence that grew more and more suspicious the longer it took for either of them to respond. "Why is he so protective over you?" Kurapika asked, the last question flying over the birthday recipient's head, forgetting that he even asked it at all. He assumed the boy just simply loves to talk about himself. "Huh, I dunno, to be quite honest. I had really shit eyesight I guess, so maybe he felt bad for me. Paid a lot of money for a fancy medical hunter and eye surgeons to give me an eye transplant. First of its kind- they even used these preserved eyes from this village.. known to have their eyes change colors or some shit... doesn't do it anymore though, the surgery must've screwed it up or something?" And it was like time had slowed, slackened, or completely just stopped as Leorio turned towards Kurapika, his eyes as red as the devil's, as red as the beating heart in his chest that longed for his brethren, then back at towards the teen, who's hand let go of the plate, staring deep into the other's eyes, realizing what revelation the crimson color revealed. Within an instant, Kurapika and the teen were gone, leaving Leorio alone, whipping his head left and right, trying to find them again before Kurapika might do something he might regret. The party went on, completely unaware of what was happening. 

Leorio ran up the stairs off to the side, not caring if wandering eyes would've seen him trespassing. He called out his friend's name, running down corridors, the hallway dark, only small candles in glass vases illuminating the long rooms. He heard shuffling, muffled voices- did those belong to them? He burst into a room- empty. Again and again, trying to locate the noise, where were they? He had to hurry, hurry!

He finally approached an open door, the maroon walls threatening, the golden lights casting shadows on the walls. He gently crept in, stumbling upon the scene with the young teen tied to a bedpost, a cloth messily stuck in his mouth. And Kurapika, sitting across from him, crossed legs and arms bent to fold in front of his face, his eyes burning with rage. Leorio called out his name, and he wasn't sure if it was just dumb hope, but Kurapika's features seemed to soften in the moonlight spilling from the window. 

"What are you doing? You can't punish him for this, K, c'mon, get up!" Leorio tried to wrestle him from his entranced state, but he barely moved, all the while staring with such cruelty and distaste towards the young teen, who had tears and snot streaming down his face, his birthday crown tilted atop his face, his eyes donning flecks of red, almost like a broken pair of Kurta eyes. 

The cloth constricting the boy's face had fell to the floor, him finally screaming and shouting for them to let him go- please, he'd do anything, money, power, anything, his grandpa could give him, to which Kurapika roared back, "I want the eyes!" Leorio and the young teen fell silent, staring at the trembling Kurapika. While Kurapika stood trying to catch his breath, staring at his hands, Leorio unbound the kid, putting his hand over his mouth to signal to him to keep quiet, so he can sneak out while Kurapika remains distracted. As soon as Leorio let go of his hands, he darted out of the room, the two left alone, Kurapika staring out the door. And instead of growing angry, he hung his head down. It seemed like hours before he finally spoke. "Am I fucked? Am I a monster? What am I doing here, Leorio? What am I doing here?" Leorio stayed quiet, moving in the dark to sit besides him. He wrapped his arms around his legs, staring at the floor too. 

"You know you're like... the most passionate person I've ever met, right? You have this sense of justice... that I wish I could have. You care so deeply, even if that means destroying yourself in the process. And that's why I'm here, to prevent that. Sometimes, you have to let things go, K, and just know you did your best. Justice evolves to vengeance, sometimes to the point of infection, to sickness- like normal flora infections, you need it to thrive, but too much of it... Sorry, all analogies I have are med-related-" he got cut off with a small chuckle from his friend. The two chuckled quietly in the room, until it was soundless once more. "I'm so glad you're here. I don't know what would've happened had you not been here. I really lost sight of everything. I just needed to slay the troupe, and here I am, at a party about to beat up the birthday kid."

"He was kinda an asshole, but you know he's just a kid." 

"You're right. Thank you."

Leorio stood up, outstretching a hand that Kurapika grasped, pulling him up. "You know it's never a problem." The two dragged on through the corridors, Kurapika hanging onto the other, his legs feeling numb, his eyesight hazy. They exited the building as quietly as they entered, the dark night hiding their movement. 

Kurapika accompanied the other man to his small room, helping him clean up and pack, it being his final day in this small island. They were wordless as they walked towards the blimp station, Leorio holding everything as Kurapika walked on ahead, that thoughtfulness glow in his eyes, lips slightly parted, eyebrows relaxed, as if trying to take in the events earlier this evening- he was prepared to kill the boy for the eyes. He was prepared to kill everyone there for the eyes, and without Leorio, he might have had to condone to that, if he couldn't find another way. He had dedicated his humanity to retrieving the eyes, he had muddled his name, he had bloodied his hands all for the sake of the Kurta clan. He had grown cold, ruthless, he had grown distant and so alone. And yet, Leorio was still trailing behind him, lagging because he demanded he'd hold all their luggage. Leorio was still there, still calling him by his name, the name that he had forgotten as he hadn't had anyone speak to him so intimately in months. He was still there, and he had loved him despite all of his flaws, and it was that moment when Kurapika realized, his eyes widening. Kurapika had turned around and kissed him, much to his counterpart's shock that he dropped his suitcase, the thing bursting open, his clothes flying in the wind. But he didn't care, he just moved his hands towards the other's face, cupping his cheek as he leaned in closer. Kurapika felt alive at that very moment and kissed him again and again and again.


End file.
